Headphones Review: Sony Wh-1000xm4

By Danish Faiz, Staff Writer

Sony Wh-1000xm4: A pair of headphones that have a bad name, steep price tag, but incredible performance. These headphones remain a solid option in the saturated market of premium, noise canceling headphones. 

Coming in at $350 (though sometimes as low as $260), the headphones are made of a premium matte plastic with a soft faux leather that has a responsive foam. Wearing them for a quick phone call or for commuting between classes is comfortable as can be, feeling light with no noticeable pinching around the ears or top of the head. 

What makes these incredible is the noise canceling that never seems to get old, with microphones on the inside and outside to better read the environment. This allows the headphones to cancel out constant annoying noise. It just depletes any fan noise, cars driving, and even cafeteria chatter, giving you a personal bubble. 

Along with incredible sound quality, the equalizer is very adjustable, with fun presets that increase bass, tune out voices, or let the instruments do the talking (or vice versa if you’re into lyrics). 

Battery life is superb, with an advertised 30 hours with noise canceling, that can get you through your day. The charging is rapid, with 10 minutes of charging getting you three hours of playback in a pinch. 

However, there was a drawback. Over the break I was on a roughly twenty hour flight that put them to the test. After a few short hours, I could feel the plastic on the inside of the ear cup dig into my ears. This in turn caused my ears to heat up, requiring me to take the headphones off to cool down. 

Overall, though, these are worth the price, but be sure to look out for discounts, as these stylish pairs of over ear headphones offer superb audio quality, amazing noise canceling, all-day battery life, and a sleek design that make this package very appealing.